


Only Insomnia

by orphan_account



Category: One Piece
Genre: Gen, Insomnia, Sleep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-21
Updated: 2013-02-21
Packaged: 2017-11-30 00:18:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/693180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was only insomnia, many must have it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Only Insomnia

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Hemingway's "A Clean Well-Lighted Place"

It was now dark and Robin was in bed trying to sleep. Some nights, she went without sleep. There were times when she went a full week without any sleep and she was not at all tired. She was used to it. When she had been young, she rarely had the time to sleep. She had always been moving, it was never safe to stay in one place too long. It became a habit and now she couldn't sleep even if she wanted to. Still, Chopper had insisted the lack of sleep was a health concern and then Luffy overhead and made it a Captain's order that she get a good night's sleep.

She tossed and turned. It didn't do much good. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. It was a good strong wood that Franky had acquired. It had been expensive stuff. The whole ship was made from it and it was strong. She turned so that she was lying on her left side.

Nami was in the other bed on the other side of the room. She snored lightly and drooled a little. The sight made Robin smile. Her breathing was even and Robin listened. It was soothing.

“A hundred million,” Nami mumbled in her sleep.

Yes, a hundred million. No, two hundred. Why not a billion? Just for you, Nami. Only for you.

It was too quiet. Nami snored a little louder. Robin smiled and giggled. Then she rolled over to her other side facing away from Nami and stared at the wall. She closed her eyes.

It was dark. She could no longer hear Nami's light snores. It was quiet. She felt the darkness within her. She saw it everywhere. Her breathing sped up.

She opened her eyes; it was still dark but now she could see. Nami's snores reached her again. Robin smiled. She listened to Nami for some time before she finally fell asleep herself.

It was dark. The darkness was everywhere.

She turned around and it was the Thousand Sunny. It was sailing off without her. Her hand shot out and she tried to call to them. Her voice was gone.

Then the Thousand Sunny disappeared and it was just her and the darkness. The darkness was everywhere and surrounded her completely. It flanked her from the left and from the right. There was a small light where the Sunny had been before it disappeared. It was far away. She took a step forward and another but it was still far. She ran towards it and it never got any closer. Then it was gone too.

The darkness surrounded her and she didn't believe that the light had ever been there. No light could have ever penetrated the darkness. It was everywhere and consumed everything. It was consuming her too. She inhaled and the darkness flowed into her.

She felt darkness in her lungs, in her stomach, and in her heart. Her breathing sped up and the darkness flooded her lungs completely. Her heart sped up and pumped darkness into every vein and every artery. It seeped into her very bones. She was drowning now and there was nothing but her and the darkness. Nothing could save her.

Then there was no longer any her and the darkness. It was just the darkness. She was part of the darkness and the darkness was part of her. She was the darkness and the darkness was her. She was Nico Robin and the darkness was Nico Robin too.

She heard voices but she never saw anything. It was the darkness in her ear. It was the darkness in her brain. The sky was darkness and the ground was darkness. Then a light came and pushed out the darkness. The light filled her too like the darkness had but it was a warm feeling. The light did not stay and the darkness came back and flooded her again. She felt numb as the darkness filled every part of her. She closed her eyes.

Then she was awake. She was breathing hard and she could feel the sweat on her skin. The room was dark and she ran to the door. It took her a moment to get it open before she ran outside and bathed in the moon's light. She was warm again.

She stared at the stars and the moon and saw a shooting star and made a wish. Then she stared at the ocean which went on forever. The ship rocked gently against the waves and there was a light in Crow's Nest. It was Luffy. It was his turn on watch.

She went back inside her room and found her book which was on the nightstand just beyond her bed. A hand spawned and grabbed it before tossing it over. She caught it and moved her hand behind her back to open the door. She leaned against the door slightly and it opened for her. Nami was still sleeping gently with a light snore. Robin smiled at the sight.

She left the room and climbed the ladder and went into the Crow's Nest. Luffy was sleeping in one corner and snoring loudly. She laughed at the sight. She walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder and shook him awake.

“What?” He opened his eyes but was still sleepy and rubbed his eyes.

“Why don't you let me take over?”

“No, you need to sleep. Chopper said so.”

“Tomorrow. I can't sleep tonight.”

“Alright, you promise?”

“Promise.” Luffy sluggishly walked out of the Crow's Nest and landed on the deck with a thud. He did not get up again and went to sleep where he laid.

Robin turned on the light and read her book in silence. It was a good fantasy novel about heroes and princesses and dragons. There were many obstacles but they did not matter and the story always ended the same way.

She was finished with book when the sun began to rise. She heard a whistle. It was Sanji who got up early to cook breakfast. Sanji saw Luffy sleeping on the deck and saw the light from the Crow's Nest. He climbed up.

“Robin-chan?”

“Good morning.”

“Why are you up? Chopper said you needed sleep.”

“I couldn't sleep.”

“Is something wrong?”

“No, it's just insomnia.” Sanji went to kitchen and made her some tea.

Robin leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.

“It's just insomnia,” she told herself.


End file.
